mash potato

Third time lucky? Maybe?
Last night, we had Thai in Fulham. I met Mr. Lampard for the second time. The first time I saw him was in a club, many months ago, also in Fulham. But I guess that didn't count because I didn't know who he was then. Friend: 'Omigod, that's Frank Lampard!' Me: 'Frank who?'

And last night, when the restaurant manager came up to our table and said, 'Guess which footballer is dining with us tonight?' I, frantically in the most composed manner went: 'Who? Frank?' Not that I really gave a damn right? (Though my dinner companions might think otherwise). We were bouncing off the honour from one person to another, of asking the man himself for permission to have a picture taken with him. And just when we decided to bestow the honour on A, he left with his entourage.

Oh well. Maybe next time. I've envisioned it. It'll be, Me: 'Hi, Frank. Fera. A fan.' Frank: 'Hi Fera. Pleased to meet you. Can I get you anything to drink?'

Three time's a charm baby.


Shaken or stirred?
I'm with you James. I don't give a damn.

I don't give a damn about a lot of things these days. About work, especially. People at work are just a bunch of suckers. They talk and talk and probe and probe, thinking they're the shit, when they don't know shit. They think they look sharp in their thousand dollar suit, when honey, have you considered tummy tuck? They crack audit jokes on the daily and throw high-fives when they guess the correct IFRSs and yet they wonder why they're still single.

For many months, I've been worried about wanting to be exceptional at work, but day by day I begin to realise that I've got the concept entirely wrong.

When people put twice the effort, I do a little bit more. Is that dedication or mere stupidity? When managers ask me to stay a little late, I say yes, and then run home and bitch and whine. Now is that commitment or mere stupidity? When clients treat me like shit, I say 'I understand', apologise and run to the loo and cry. Now, this is simply pure stupidity.

It is a very competitive environment, no doubt. And this competitiveness, healthy or not, is unfortunately inherent in the job culture. You either take part in it, or you lose out.

After a while taking this journey, only now I ask, 'What's in it for me?' All I see so far is me feeding to people's expectation, but doing nothing for my own gratification. But I'll need to get back to you on this one.

And then I begin to analyse the very nature of this thing I signed up for. I personally find it difficult (I'm not saying it is impossible, so many people have done it) to focus all your energy at work and excel, when you've got exams and other technicalities to focus on. To me, there has got to be a trade-off somewhere, which then begs the question. Which of the two do I want to excel at to compensate for the slack in the other - work or exams? The answer is, wrong question. There is no such choice. Noone is at liberty to make such choice. If you have happened to make that choice, you're on the road to doomsville.

So after much deliberation I have decided to not worry about being exceptional at what I do. All I should worry about is being good at what I do. Because while being exceptional is relative, being good is a stand-alone measuring factor. I don't have to be compared to the next person to know that I am good at what I do. Being good is absolute.

Anyway..
This is the bomb diggity yo! Tony toni toné!